HINESVILLE, Ga. (Dec. 14, 2020) – The City of Hinesville has received a fire prevention grant totaling $2,912 from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, FM Global representatives presented the award and a commemorative plaque to the Hinesville Fire Department via mail and electronic notification. The award will be used to assist with fire investigations to help investigators more efficiently assess, investigate and determine the cause of a fire. Because fire continues to be the leading cause of property damage worldwide, during the past 40 years FM Global has contributed millions of dollars in fire prevention grants to fire service organizations around the globe. Locally, the company has awarded grants to a number of Georgia-based organizations. “At FM Global, we strongly believe the majority of property damage is preventable, not inevitable,” says Michael Spaziani, assistant vice president – manager of the fire prevention grant program. “Far too often, inadequate budgets prevent those organizations working to prevent fire from being as proactive as they would like to be. With additional financial support, grant recipients are actively helping to improve property risk in the communities they serve.” Through its Fire Prevention Grant Program, FM Global awards grants to fire departments— as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide—that best demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause. “While the Hinesville Fire Department prides itself on a high success rate in the salvage of property from destruction during structure fires, we also seek to prevent fires before they start in the homes and businesses of Hinesville,” says Hinesville Fire Chief Robert Kitchings. “Thanks to this generous grant from FM Global, we will be able to increase and expand our fire prevention efforts through the Fire Marshals and Public Safety Education divisions.” To learn more about FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program and other resources for the fire service, please visit www.fmglobal.com/fireservice.